Translation: ESV
Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
When God's judgment comes upon the whole earth, no social status can escape it.
▸Isaiah chapters 24-27 are called 'the Isaiah Apocalypse.
Isaiah chapters 24-27 are called 'the Isaiah Apocalypse.' An eschatological judgment is proclaimed over the whole earth rather than any specific nation. God emptying the earth and twisting it is a reversal of the created order.
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
Before God's judgment, social status, wealth, and power mean nothing.
▸On the day of judgment all social distinctions disappear.
The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word.
God's word will surely be fulfilled, and his judgment is complete and thorough.
▸The repetition of 'utterly' emphasizes the thoroughness of the judgment.
The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish.
Human sin affects even the natural world, and God's judgment is directed toward all of creation.
▸The earth, the world, the highest people of the earth—all languish.
The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
The fundamental cause of judgment is covenant breaking; breaking one's relationship with God results in the desolation of the whole earth.
▸The cause of the judgment is revealed.
Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.
The result of sin is curse and judgment, and few survive God's judgment.
▸The curse devours the earth and condemns its inhabitants.
The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh.
When God's judgment arrives, all the joys of life disappear.
▸Wine and the vine are symbols of prosperity and joy.
The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
The joy and festivities of humanity that have forgotten God are not eternal.
▸Music and festivities cease.
No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
Joy without God ultimately turns to bitterness.
▸The festive culture of drinking wine while singing comes to an end.
The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter.
Even all the urban civilizations that humans have built can become ruins before God's judgment.
▸Urban civilization collapses.
There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished.
When God's judgment arrives, all the joy that humans pursue disappears.
▸There is crying in the streets for lack of wine.
Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins.
Before God's judgment, all the defenses and civilizations that humans have built fall.
▸Only desolation remains in the city and the gates are broken into ruins.
For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
Even in thorough judgment God preserves the remnant, and this is the basis of future hope.
▸Yet even in judgment there is a 'remnant.
They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.
Even in judgment the remnant praise the majesty of the LORD—this is genuine faith.
▸The remnant who remain in judgment raise their voices and sing.
Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
God's glory must be praised throughout the entire world—this is the purpose of creation and salvation.
▸In the east and in all the coastlands of the sea they glorify the LORD.
From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. But I say, 'I waste away, I waste away. Woe is me! For the traitors have betrayed, with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.'
Even while looking toward God's salvation vision, the prophet laments in the face of the reality of sin.
▸On one hand songs of praise are heard from the ends of the earth, but on the other hand betrayal continues.
Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
God's judgment cannot be escaped; wherever humans go they are under God's sovereignty.
▸A triple danger of terror, pit, and snare is proclaimed.
He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.
The cosmic judgment affects both heaven and earth; the entire created world shakes.
▸The windows of heaven are opened and the foundations of the earth tremble.
The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken.
On the day of judgment the very earth that humans stand on shakes, showing God's cosmic sovereignty.
▸Three verbs (broken, split, shaken) describe the complete destruction of the earth.
The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.
Human transgression is heavy enough to shake the earth itself, and God's judgment is irreversible.
▸The earth staggers like a drunken man and sways like a hut.
On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth.
God's judgment extends to both heavenly powers and earthly powers; God alone is the true King.
▸Both the host of heaven (heavenly spiritual powers) and the kings of the earth receive God's judgment.
They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished.
The temporary imprisonment and final judgment of evil powers shows that God's sovereignty will be fully realized.
▸The judged powers are gathered in a pit.
Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.
On the day when God's glory is fully manifested, even all created light pales before him.
▸God's glory shines so brightly that even the moon and sun are confounded.